Sunday, February 18, 2018

Wrestling Wraps Up Regular Season with Comeback Win at Bucknell, while Two Men Place at Mat Town Open

(Photo courtesy of Bloomsburg University Sports Information)

WrestlingCOMPLETE MAT TOWN OPEN BRACKETSLEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University wrestling team came back from a 20-13 deficit to upend Bucknell on their Senior Night at Sojka Pavilion Saturday night (Feb. 17). At the second Mat Town Open hosted by Lock Haven University, both Anthony Vetrano (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) and Saul Wilkins IV(Wilkes-Barre, Pa./GAR Memorial) placed in their respective weight classes. Vetrano won the 174-pound weight class going 2-0 on the day, while Wilkins finished third in the 285-pound bracket going 3-1.

Willy Girard (Williamstown, Pa/Williams Valley) got the Huskies off on the right foot in the dual match, winning by major decision 12-0 at 125 pounds over Mike Macklin. He scored six in the first period with a takedown and four nearfall points, before holding that same lead through two periods. He went on to score another six points in the third to notch the major decision. Andy Schutz (Exeter, Pa./Wyoming Area) extended the Huskies lead to 7-0 with a gritty 4-3 win at 133 pounds over David Campbell. After a scoreless first period, Schutz scored the first points with a reversal before Campbell would escape to cut the lead to one. Schutz would secure another takedown from the neutral position before Campbell would escape again, leaving the match at 4-2 headed to the third. Campbell was able to score one point by another escape in the third, but Schutz was able to hang on for the win. #14 Tyler Smith got the Bison on the board with a 25-11 major decision over Shawn Orem (Pasadena, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) at 141 pounds. Orem's extra effort spoiled a would-be technical fall and therefore an extra team point for Smith Bucknell. The Bison would take a 10-6 lead at 149 pounds when Joey Gould pinned Braden Stahlnecker (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville) in 3:23, before Bloomsburg would re-gain its lead with a win by fall by Kevin Laubach Jr. (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) at 157 pounds. After a scoreless first period, a Laubach escape was the only scoring in the second. Laubach was able to catch Andrew Millsap leaning and get a clean shot. Off of that, Laubach got all of his momentum to one side and was able to turn Millsap to secure the fall at 6:28. The Bison would re-take their lead at the 165-pound bout when DJ Hollingshead defeated Nate Newberry (Biglerville, Pa./Biglerville) by 11-2 major decision. With the Bison leading 14-13, they would extend their lead to 20-13 with wins at 174 and 184. Nick Stephani scored a last-second 6-4 decision win over Kyle Murphy (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) at 174, before Drew Phipps knocked off Trevor Allard (Mexico, N.Y./Mexico) by 7-4 decision at 184. In the 197-pound bout, Logan Womelsdorf (Benton, Pa./Northwest Area) would secure a 2-0 lead in the final seconds of the first with a takedown. Womelsdorf remained in control of Chad Reese for most of the second period, before using his momentum to push Reese to his back and get the fall at 4:08. The bonus-point win got the Huskies within 20-19 headed to the final bout. In the 285-pound bout, Bruce Graeber(Feasterville, Pa./Neshaminy) matched up with Brandon Stokes with the match on the line. Graeber led 1-0 after one on an infraction against Stokes, before a stall warning in the second sent the sophomore to the third up 2-0. Graeber did secure one escape in the third to get the 3-0 decision and secure the road win for the Huskies.

The win improves the Huskies to 6-9 overall, while Bucknell drops to 3-14 overall with the loss.

Vetrano began his day with a 6-4 decision over Frankie Guida of Bucknell (unattached), before defeating Guida by decision 5-2 to win the bracket. Wilkins's day started with a loss by fall (6:26) to Will Hilliard of Old Dominion (unattached), before rebounding to pin West Virginia's (unattached) Sean Mullican in 2:01. Wilkins advanced by way of medical forfeit over Seth Brennock of Ohio State (unattached), before getting revenge on Hilliard by winning a 5-2 decision.

Bloomsburg will next compete in the EWL Championships on Mar. 3, hosted by Edinboro University. The action is set to begin at 10:00 a.m.